Endless Drama holds out Te Akau Shark in last year’s Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa.
How the early feature calendar looks - Te Rapa to host first Group races of the new season
By Barry Lichter • 21 April 2020
The first Group races of the new season will be run at Te Rapa on September 5 in the proposed draft calendar for 2020-21.
With the Listed Winter Cup not being run at Riccarton in August, the first big day at Te Rapa will see the Group II Foxbridge Plate held plus the Group III Northern Breeders’ Stakes, a three-year-old race traditionally held at Ruakaka, which has been allocated no dates during the period.
The Hawkes Bay Group I Triple Crown remains unchanged with the Tarzino Trophy on September 19, the Windsor Park Plate on October 3 and Livamol Classic on October 17.
Gone from the calendar are Trentham’s traditional late October date, meaning no Thompson Handicap (Group III) but the Wellesley Stakes (Listed) is set to be moved to Levin Classic day in January.
Other casualties are the Arawa Stakes (Group III wfa) and Trudy Thompson Memorial (Listed).
The jumping season opens and closes at Wanganui, with the first day on July 10 and last, national jumps day, on November 1.
The Great Northern Hurdles and Steeples will be run at Ellerslie on October 17, the same day as the third leg of the Hawkes Bay Triple Crown.
Gone are the Grand National Hurdles and Steeples at Riccarton, with no South Island jumps racing programmed.
This draft programme will be confirmed by July after the decision of the RITA dates committee and an assessment by the NZTR Board of the COVID-19 restrictions in place at that time and likely to be in place for the 2020-21 racing year.
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Lisa’s comments
Saturday at Trentham
Race 2: Platinum Tyche
1.05pm
“This is a big drop-back in class for her as her last two races have been very strong rating 75s. The track at Otaki was particularly wet and she just didn’t handle it. She has come through that run in fantastic order and is very bright and well. She shouldn’t be too far off the leaders from the good draw and I expect her to bounce back to form providing we get a decent track.”
Race 8: Platinum Attack
4.43pm
“He drew the outside barrier in this race last year and has been dealt the same card again. He couldn’t be looking any better though and his work has been phenomenal. He is right where he needs to be to win a race like this. We are going to need some luck from the draw but Craig Grylls knows him well now and I thought that he is certainly one of the better horses in the race. If he gets clear air at the right time then he will finish with a big run.”